Kitty Coiffure Oh My Mushi... Pet Portraits

'Kitty Coiffure...Oh, My Mushi' was commissioned by a daughter as a gift for her mother, portraying the loving, still alive but ancient cat named Mushi. 

'Kitty Coiffure, Oh My Mushi'

By Minaz Jantz

soft pastel on sandpaper

Mushi's favorite pose is to sit with her front paws casually crossed, exuding an air of dignity and her glowing crystal eyes, all while being knowingly confident, relaxing on her cozy mat. Each time I create a pet portrait, it is a challenge to capture their unique personality and convey their emotions. Every pet not only has its own unique color attributes but also its own distinctive way of sitting, standing, and playing.

The soft pastel painting is a compilation of several photos of “Mushi,” who is a pure-breed cat called a 'rag doll. The breeds are very affectionate and will flop over your arm, much like a rag doll, making them great cats for those who enjoy playing, petting, and brushing.

I had just bought some new pastels from France called Sennelier soft pastels, which mark another era in technique and color expansion. Each brand of pastel produces a distinct effect, and the Sennelier and  Unison pastels from England result in a glazing effect, giving some transparency and leaving a dusting on the surface, while showing hints of previous colors underneath each stroke of pastel.

CLOSE-UP of Oh My Mushi

For many of my pet portraits done in pastel, I have chosen a type of sandpaper usually used for sanding wet metal, which I purchase at the hardware store. You will recognize it by its black crushed diamond surface, which is also available in several surface weights but is only offered in one size: 9” x 11”. I use 600 – 400-weight paper, which grabs more pastel layers than the traditional pastel papers. Another interesting feature is that the surface of the sandpaper features sparkly crushed diamonds, which add a subtle sparkle when the light hits the finished painting, drawing the viewer’s eyes.

Mushi’s portrait challenged me to experiment with different techniques using my new soft pastels to create her most divine, daily-brushed fur that puffs like cotton candy. Firstly, I stroked down several colors that will be underneath the top layers to give interest and depth to the fur. Then I applied some shades closer to the actual fur color while lightly rubbing the top layer of pastel with a makeup sponge to soften the pastel edges into a blur.

Purrrr-fectly Meow, Minaz